In the vineyard with Tim Mondavi, daughter Carissa, and Bayla of Continuum

GUESS WHO’S COMING TO THE NANTUCKET WINE FESTIVAL 2011?!

Oh, how we love the Nantucket Wine Festival…the annual ritual of welcoming old friends and making new ones—meaning, of course, people AND wines.  We’ve made many friends at the NWF through the years, and brought other friends to the event, both luminaries and patrons.  This January, Mark and I had the distinct honor of meeting Tim Mondavi and luring him to be the Nantucket Wine Festival Luminary of the Year.   His legacy as the winemaker for Robert Mondavi is laudable as is his impressive new label, Continuum Estate, and its commitment to excellence in winemaking.  Continuum makes “a single red wine produced with clarity of focus at the highest quality level”, a blend of varieties from the cabernet family, and aspires to the level of a first growth Bordeaux.

We have in stock or can order wines from any of these producers, including Continuum Estate.  Our selection is all the more compelling due to the inclusion of  these esteemed makers.  Offered here are some photos of the many friends of currentVintage–on both our turf and theirs.

Lunch with Tim and Carissa Mondavi

Alex Gambal in Beaune

Sean Larkin in currentVintage

Jack Larkin of Jack Larkin in cV

with Don & Joanne of Shibumi Knoll

John Arns and Sandy Belcher in currentVintage

with Ray Coursen at Elyse

Sonoma Coast lunch with David Hirsch

Maria and Rob Sinskey

Tyler Thomas, Donelan winemaker, at Cyrus

Michael & Fiona Ragg of Mischief & Mayhem at cV

Michel Anglada of Anglada-Deleger, in Beaune

Domaine Comte Senard in Aloxe-Corton

with Kristen at Newton Vineyard

Hourglass

Seminar with Elton Sloane of Robert Craig Winery

Andy Peay pouring for me and Ziggy the Wine Gal

Magnificent Palmaz winery

Big Bottles at Miner Family

Cesare Casella, Chef-Owner Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto, NYC

Amy Peay wearing currentVintage

The “Sultans of Sonoma Coast”.  That is the name Denis Toner coined for the all-star panel of vintners Ehren Jordan (Failla), David (Hirsch) and Andy (Peay).  I’m not sure how they felt about it, but it still makes me smile every time I think of it.  I attended the seminar on Friday of the Nantucket Wine Festival and was not disappointed.  To hear David Hirsch, Father of the “true” Sonoma Coast, so to speak, was impressive; what was he thinking, farming grapes way up there way back when?  All three chardonnays showed amazingly well, but the nuanced Peay 07 Estate Chardonnay was the favorite at my table.  This type of wine festival event makes the festival, in my opinion.  Comparing and contrasting flights of wines from similar grapes and soils is so interesting!  Discerning what part Mother Nature played vs what took place and in the cellar to produce such distinctive wines from such similar base ingredients—that’s exciting stuff to me!

A half hour later, Andy Peay migrated over to currentVintage for a store tasting.  I am sentimental about Peay wines because Andy Peay was our first in store tasting at currentVintage. It was during the 2008 NWF and it was the first week we were open. He was/is so cool and really seemed to get my store.  I am also a great admirer of the wines—they are elegant, sophisticated and quite feminine.  I understood this better after meeting the winemaker, Vanessa Wong at a Peay dinner at Cyrus in Healdsburg this past winter.  She is tiny and lovely, yet projects the strength and composure of her years of experience.  Those years, by the way, include being the winemaker at Peter Michael.  Vanessa is married to Nick Peay, Andy’s brother, who is in charge of the vineyard.  Serious talent, serious wines.
Anyway, the tasting was a huge success.  Old fans turned up and new ones were made. Eric Munson of Dancing Bear Cellars stopped by for a signed bottle—I love how winemakers support each other, at least at our festival.  Andy and Ehren Jordan came to the cV Sinskey tasting the day before—how cool is that?